On Borrowed Crime
A Jane Doe Book Club Mystery
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $23.99
Publisher Description
Sleuth alongside the quirky members of a mystery book club in this Georgia-set cozy mystery full of sweet tea, Southern charm, family drama, and a tantalizing bit of romance!
The Jane Doe book club enjoys guessing whodunit, but when murder happens in their midst, they discover solving crimes isn’t fun and games.
Lyla Moody loves her sleepy little town of Sweet Mountain, Georgia. She likes her job as receptionist for her uncle’s private investigative firm, her fellow true crime obsessed Jane Doe members are the friends she’s always wanted, and her parents just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. But recently, with her best friend Melanie on vacation, and her ex-boyfriend and horrible cousin becoming an item and moving in next door to her, her idyllic life is on the fritz. The cherry on top of it all is finding Carol, a member of the club, dead and shoved into a suitcase, left at Lyla’s front door.
Unusual circumstances notwithstanding, with Carol’s heart condition, the coroner rules Carol’s death undetermined. But when they discover the suitcase belongs to Melanie, who had returned from her vacation the following morning, Sweet Mountain police begin to suspect Lyla’s best friend. Determined that police are following the wrong trail, to clear her friend’s name, and to not allow Carol become one of the club’s studied cold cases, Lyla begins to seek out the real killer. That is, until she becomes the one sought after. Now, finding the truth could turn her into the killer’s next plot twist, unless she wins the game of cat and mouse.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Lyla Moody, the 31-year-old narrator of this amusing series launch from Young (the Marygene Brown mysteries), works for her uncle Calvin as a receptionist at Cousins Investigative Services in the "Mayberry-esque" town of Sweet Mountain, Ga. Her mother would rather see her working behind the makeup counter at a department store. Indeed, as Lyla observes, "Here in Sweet Mountain... old southern families resided. Our tea was sweet, our accents were sweeter, and our ladies were expected to be the same. Murder didn't quite fit in." One afternoon at work, she gets a call from Judge David Timms, who tells her his wife, Carol, a friend of Lyla's and a fellow member of the Jane Doe book club, has been missing for four days. Back home, Lyla finds a large suitcase on her doorstep, and inside is Carol's body. Carol, as it turns out, had been investigating a local cold case murder. Agatha Christie like clues and a witty narrator who knows how to handle herself enhance the subsequent sleuthing. This skillful blend of detective work and chick lit will appeal to cozy readers.
Customer Reviews
A great start to a new cozy mystery series
On Borrowed Crime is the first instalment in the Jane Doe Book Club Mystery series and is a super fun read. It is fresh, quirky, charming and If you are looking for a new cozy mystery to sink your teeth into, then I recommend you adding this one to your reading list.
Kate Young has put together a well plotted mystery, that caught my attention immediately. The story plays out a bit more darker than a traditional cozy mystery, but still has all the other elements that make this genre so much fun to read. I enjoyed how there are red herring’s that are peppered throughout along the way, which leads the reader away from the real culprit, making for a surprise reveal.
The cast of characters are colourful and they shine through the pages. I loved Layla and she made for a really great lead. She is a sassy southerner who I could completely relate to and I look forward to reading more about her. The supporting cast play out their roles well and each add their own personality to the story.
I liked the setting of Sweet Mountain Georgia which Kate Young brings to life beautifully. The incorporation of a true crime obsessed book club (The Jane Doe Book Club – Brilliant name!) is a great touch and Layla’s employment as a receptionist at her uncle’s PI business, paves the way for her to become embroiled in the case, as a budding PI herself, but more so as the deceased is a friend of hers.
A new author to me, Kate Young has a very easy style and I found her writing to be very fluid and engaging. The story flows well, moves at a steady pace and kept me wanting to flick the pages. The series has a lot of potential and I look forward to seeing its development in future books.